Uttaranchal (Uttarakhand)

The floods in the Himalayas have been ferocious and deadly. Fears are that the final body count could run into several thousands. There is no clear estimate of the number of villages wiped out, property destroyed, roads washed away and hydropower projects damaged in the mountain state of Uttarakhand. The mountains are bleeding and its people have been left battered, bruised and dead.

Engineers require re-training, not the Ganga. This is where I had left our conversation last fortnight. Why did I say this? The inter-ministerial committee I participated in as a member was discussing how much the ecological flow—the water that should be left in the river for ecosystem and livelihood purposes—should be at all times. How much water is needed for the river to be a river; and not a drain?

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) presented its environmental assessment of Jasodharpur Industrial Area (JIA) in a public meeting on June 11, 2012 held at Maganpur village near Kotdwar town in Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand.